Ess-Kay Marina is full full full. All slips on the canal are full and they have lots of us over along the basin as well. We have just one electrical outlet so haven't had a chance to fire up the AC...which was an issue yesterday working in the heat...UUUGGGHHH!!!! Yes, those kittens have grown...still friendly as ever...and shedding!!!!!! I'll try to get a photo in the next couple of days. Three other Looper boats are here and Floyd read on the Looper blog this morning that another is due to arrive today. (Don't know where they'll put 'em...???) We managed to talk to most...and imagine we'll re-connect along the Trent-Severn and Lake Michigan this summer. Excited to get Kelli (my daughter) here and then head on out...

Floyd and I both came to the boat with a rather long list of things to do...amazing to me that we've been crossing things off the list but it doesn't seem to be getting any shorter. Today we are in work clothes all day...not going anywhere...just work work work...but then there are breaks that include an Oreo or two...and a chance to watch the boats on the Erie Canal...WOW...I commented to Floyd last night that never in my wild dreams did I think I'd be boating (yachting) and enjoying the life I have been enjoying since hooking up with him...what a thrill it is to help him chase his Great Loop dream. Truly blessed!!!!

Thunderstorm last night...Water water water...it is very high and parts of the Canal are just opening today. Erie Canal usually opens by Mother's day. A few realllllly big boats are being moved through. They said last night while we were at the store, the canal cruiser we saw last summer went through. This morning a 90 ft yacht left here and another big one is heading out this afternoon. This place is full of boats...and Ethan says they still have boats in storage. We are over in the basin area. Kelli is arriving on Thursday and we plan to head north on June 4th.

Travel to TUMBLEWEED was pretty smooth. Our lay over in Chicago allowed us to meet up with Mary Ellen Hendricks, a good friend of my deceased brother Stan. We had a great, long visit among some crazed folks all dressed in red. (Chicago Bulls anyone???) Hard to believe she is still employed at the Chicago Tribune after all these years. We met at Santrino's in Greek town, just a short (but very cold @ 47 degrees) walk from Union Station. The phone call Floyd got while we were there announcing that our train had been cancelled caused us to high-tail it back to the station. But not to worry, not cancelled...delayed. Seems the water in the north was causing some trains to detour miles out of the way...but hey, they let us sleeper car folks board on time...fed us bad wine, grapes and cheese...and we went to bed. Train left at midnight...though you couldn't prove it by us. We arrived in Syracuse at 3 instead of 12...our cheap rental car was upgraded to a Jeep Grand Cherokee because they left me standing on the curb to wait Floyd's return...even though there was room in the transport van. When we got to the TUMBLEWEED, she was in the water...plugged in...and readily inhabitable. We turned on the fridge, added water to the system, made a quick run to the store and we were good to go....well, for awhile. Seems that the water pressure pump had a small leak. Floyd has already fixed that...so now time to re-organize and clean. All part of the game we play. Sunny and humid...in the 70s...we are getting ready to get ready....

FYI....I have posted new page listing those plans we've made for 2011...won't it be fun seeing how all that works out????

Plans are made...tickets are purchased...now if the water would just cooperate!!!! We are leaving Wichita onthe AmTrac train at 3AM on May 26th. With a short stop in Chicago, we'll arrive in Syracuse NY around noon on the 27th. Pick up a rental car and then check in at ESS-Kay Marina in Brewerton NY. We had hoped TUMBLEWEED would be in the water and we'd be ready to get ready. But that looks like a dream at this point. The Erie Canal in that area is experiencing high water and that section may not even be open when we get there. The other challenge is that our boat was one of the first into stoarge as we expected to be the last out...however, looks like we are in with the crowd at this point...no one has gone anywhere yet. We had planned to head fro Canada on June 4th...my daughter is joining us on June 2nd regardless...this is what happens in a world of non-refundable tickets...UUURRRGGGHHH!!!!